The wars of Alexander: an alliterative romance translated chiefly from the Historia Alexandri Magni de preliis. Re-edited from ms. Ashmole 44, in the Bodleian library, Oxford, and ms. D.4.12, in the library of Trinity college, Dublin: by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat.

Vndecimus passus Alexandri.

Ashmole

                                    
                                      Now has ser Darie þe derfe · of dukis & princes
                                    
                                      Heued vp a hoge ost · & fyue hundreth kniȝtis
                                    
                                      Ere chosen to chiftans · & chargid þaim to lede;
                                      Line 2609 
                                    
                                      Trottis him on to Tigre [MS. Tirgre, corrected to Tigre.]  · & þare his tentis settis;
                                    
                                      Þan mett þai on þe oþire morne · with a mekill nombre,
                                    
                                      Sire Alexander þe hathill · armed on blonkis.
                                      Line 2612 
                                    
                                      Þe multitude ware to me · meruaile to reken,
                                    
                                      Þat sammed was on aiþir side · many sadd thousand.
                                    
                                      Now ere þe baners out bred · & þe bate neȝis,
                                    
                                      Blew bemys of bras · buskis to-gedire,
                                      Line 2616 
                                    
                                      Þe crie of þe clarions · þe cloudis it persyd;
                                    
                                      For þe dewt [Read dowt.]  of þe dyn · daunced stedis.
                                    
                                      Bathe þe twa batails · bremely assemblis,
                                      Line 2619 
                                    
                                      And aithire segg with his sowme · soȝt vn-to [vn in the margin.]  othire.
                                    
                                      Kniȝtis on cursours · kest þan in fewtire,
                                    
                                      Taches in-to targetis · tamed þaire brenys.
                                    
                                      Þare was stomling of stedis · sticking of erles,
                                    
                                      Sharpe schudering of schote · schering of mailes,
                                      Line 2624 
                                    
                                      So stalworthly within a stond · sterid þaim þe grekis, [folio 45b] 
                                    
                                      Þat of þe barb[r]yne blod · all þe fild flowis.
                                    
                                      Sone as ser Darie þe deth · of his douth sees,
                                    
                                      Þe pite of þe Persens · him prickis in his saule,
                                      Line 2628 
                                    
                                      Sees his meneȝe so mynesch · & his men fangid,
                                    
                                      A few þat fresch ware vndefoulid · & to þe fliȝt tournes.
                                    
                                      Ȝit was ane of his ost · ane odd man of strenth,
                                    
                                      A burly berne & a bald · as þe buke tellis,
                                      Line 2632 
                                    
                                      A segg at he ensurid had · to sese him his doȝtir,
                                    
                                      If he miȝt sla with any sleȝt · þe seniour of grece.
                                    
                                      He cled him all in clene stele · a conyschaunce ouire,
                                    
                                      Þat made was & merkid · on þe messedone armes,
                                      Line 2636 
                                    
                                      Aires him to ser Alexander · in all-þir-mast puple,

About this Item

Title: The wars of Alexander: an alliterative romance translated chiefly from the Historia Alexandri Magni de preliis. Re-edited from ms. Ashmole 44, in the Bodleian library, Oxford, and ms. D.4.12, in the library of Trinity college, Dublin: by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat.
Canvas: Page 152
Publication: London,: Pub. for the Early English text society, by N. Trübner & co.,; 1886.
Subject terms: Alexander, -- the Great, -- 356-323 B.C. -- Romances.

Technical Details

Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/apa1967.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/apa1967.0001.001/182:12

Rights and Permissions

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials are in the public domain. If you have questions about the collection, please contact [email protected]. If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact [email protected].

DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States

IIIF

Manifest: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/api/manifest/cme:apa1967.0001.001

Cite this Item

Full citation: "The wars of Alexander: an alliterative romance translated chiefly from the Historia Alexandri Magni de preliis. Re-edited from ms. Ashmole 44, in the Bodleian library, Oxford, and ms. D.4.12, in the library of Trinity college, Dublin: by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/apa1967.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 23, 2025.